How to Sew Back Darts
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Learn how to sew back darts to get the best fit on your top or dress. It’s a simple way to pull in a waist for a flattering fit.
I finished this woven tee in the middle of the summer and liked it except I realized after putting it on that the back was pooling. One way to get rid of the pooling to a woven top that is already finished or a RTW woven top is to add two fisheye darts to the back.
It’s a little tricky to fit yourself, but it’s definitely possible. I’ll do my best to show you how I added back darts to this striped woven tee.
The shirt on the left is before the darts were added and the shirt on the right is after the darts were added. Adding darts is definitely a personal preference. Some people like the looser fit or the looser fit is more flattering to their body type.
I am mostly a rectangle so I need the appearance of waist definition for it to be flattering. What I love about the woven tee with a fitted back is that I get bust definition, front tummy skimming, and back waist definition.
This is one of the sewing and alterations you can do yourself! Check out these other ideas:
- How to add back darts to a dress
- How to take the waist of pants
- Cinch a waist with elastic
- Make a dress longer
- Add sleeves to a dress
- Raise the neckline of a dress
- How to make a shirt bigger
What is a dart?
A dart is a triangle sewn into fabric to take it in and provide shape. It’s a way to take in fabric and keep a sleek and smooth look. It’s commonly used around a bust, waist, and hips.
Why use a dart to pull in fabric?
A dart is a great way to reduce the amaount of fabric in one area. You sew in the fabric to be tighter, but then it’s pressed flat so that it doesn’t create that much bulk in that area. Gathering or elastic pulls fabric in, but it can create bulk where you don’t want it.
How to sew back darts:
Put your hand on your thinnest place in the back. It may or may not be where your waist is. I find it helps if I bend side to side at my middle to help me find where I bend and where I am the smallest.
Using both hands gather the excess fabric into two pinches on both sides of your back center.
Pin the deepest part of the dart at your waist with safety pins. *Make sure you still have ease and that you can get the shirt on and off.*
Pin where you want the top and bottom of the darts to end. This is about where the fabric smooths out. My darts ended at my armpit and 3″ from my hem.
Take off the shirt and mark where you pinned. Take the safety pins out.
Transfer the markings to the inside of the top. The amount of the two darts might be slightly different so choose an amount that’s average of the two.
You will be creating two diamond shaped darts with a center line. Your dart might be uneven depending on the top and your shape.
Fold the dart at the center matching up the outside points of the diamond. Pin the fold in place.
Sew the darts. Start by sewing from the center point of the dart and out towards the bottom point. DO NOT backstitch but leave a long thread tail. Flip the dart over, start sewing from the center point out towards the top point. DO NOT backstitch but leave a long thread tail.
Do the same to the other dart.
Tie the thread tails into square knots. This is how to finish the thread without backstitching.
If your darts are really deep you might need to clip the center part of the dart. This is expecially true for woven fabric.
Press the darts towards the center.
Tips for sewing fisheye darts:
Don’t backstitch at the end of the dart. Do tie knots with the thread tails at the end of a dart.
Start in the middle of the dart and sew towards the ends.
Press the darts towards the middle or center for the most flattering look. Use a pressing ham to press the ends of the darts.
One thing I didn’t realize that back darts would do is that it gave me more bust definition without making the top that much tighter.
It made the woven tee fitted just enough to be perfect without it being restricting or too tight. It’s a great thing to add to any woven top you have like a button down shirt!
How to Add Darts to a Top or a Dress
Learn how to sew back darts to get the best fit on your top or dress. It's a simple way to pull in a waist for a flattering fit.
Materials
- Top
Tools
- Sewing tools
- Marking tool
- Sewing machine
Instructions
- Put your hand on your thinnest place in the back. It may or may not be where your waist is. I find it helps if I bend side to side at my middle to help me find where I bend and where I am the smallest.
- Using both hands gather the excess fabric into two pinches on both sides of your back center.
- Pin the deepest part of the dart at your waist with safety pins. *Make sure you still have ease and that you can get the shirt on and off.*
- Pin where you want the top and bottom of the darts to end. This is about where the fabric smooths out. My darts ended at my armpit and 3" from my hem.
- Take off the shirt and mark where you pinned. Take the safety pins out.
- Measure the darts and if the amounts are different then find the average.
- Measure the same distance from the side seam for each dart and mark. Draw the fisheye shape.
- Sew the darts, but don't backstitch at the point. Leave thread tails and tie in a knot.
Notes
Draw your darts in before sewing.
Don't backstitch at the end of the dart.
Do tie knots with the thread tails at the end of a dart.
Start in the middle of the dart and sew towards the ends.
Press the darts towards the middle or center for the most flattering look.
Use a pressing ham to press the ends of the darts.
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If you make something using this sewing project, I’d love to see! Please share it on social media with the hashtag #heatherhandmade and tag me!
I believe small sewing moments can create great joy. Find your own “right” way to sew. -Heather
I love my tunics and paid good money for them but I lost a lot of weight so I would like to fix them so I can wear them again!
I’m wondering … what to do with the long strings , top an bottom of darts?
Thanks in advance!
Ginger
Whenever I sew a dart I just leave the long thread tails. I’ve never had a problem with them being long, and when they are long it helps prevent the knot from coming undone.
Guess what I found!
How to Sew Darts
https://www.heatherhandmade.com/how-to-sew-darts/
Perfect reasoning.. I’m sorry I missed your suggestion up there!
This tutorial will be really useful for my whole family’s clothing!
Can I ask you to explain why we don’t backstitch at the end of the darts (where we instead tie a square knot). And also, do we back stitch at the start of each line sewn (the center of each triangle/dart)?
Thank you! I’m new;)
If you backstitch at the point of the dart in just creates extra bulk where you want the fabric to be really smooth
Thank you for providing such useful information. I’m not sure if it’s going to work on my current project but I’m saving all of it!
Thank you for this information! I just completed the darts in my work shirt, and what a difference. I will be doing this with the other 7 shirts, it looks great and very easy!
Does putting back darts in an already constructed garment move the side seams so they are no longer at the sides? My daughter bought a really nice dress and wants me to take up the back a bit, and darts will work, but I’m afraid the side seams will pull towards the back and not be straight up and down?
As long as there is extra space in the back before sewing darts the side seams won’t be pulled to the back. When you are pinning and marking the darts you can watch the side seams to make sure they don’t move. If they are getting pulled then pin a more shallow dart.
Thankyou for providing this tutorial – it’s very clear and I love the way your T-shirt looks with the darts! Will be giving this a go.